Ronaldo backed by Juventus, Portugal after rape accusation

Maturin: Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been supported by club and country in the wake of a rape allegation made against the player, with Juventus hailing him a "great champion".

On the same day Portugal coach Fernando Santos said an agreement had been reached for the 154-cap forward to not return to the international stage until 2019, Juventus also reached out to their star signing.

In a statement on Twitter, the Turin club said: "Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus.

"The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion."

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On Wednesday, the 33-year-old issued a strong denial over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in the United States in 2009.

Santos, quoted on the website of Portuguese sports newspaper O Jogo, said: "I personally always support my players and here it is not even a question of solidarity, I believe what the player said publicly, he considers [rape] an abject act and clearly reaffirms that he is innocent of what he is being accused of.

Cristiano Ronaldo has rejected an accusation of rape.Credit:AP

"There was a conversation with the player, the president of the federation [Fernando Gomes] and I. We agreed that the player would not be in these two call-ups, this and the next one in November."

He added on the national team's Twitter feed: "In the future, nothing prevents Cristiano from giving his contribution to the national team."

Ronaldo is being sued by a woman in the US, who claims he assaulted her in the penthouse suite of a Las Vegas hotel.

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She also alleges the former Manchester United player dispatched a team of "fixers" to obstruct the criminal investigation and trick her into keeping quiet for $US375,000 ($530,000).

Ronaldo has firmly denied the allegations, saying it "goes against everything that I am and believe in".

Speaking to reporters in Nevada on Wednesday, lawyer Leslie Stovall said the woman suffers depression and post-traumatic stress linked to the alleged incident, but was encouraged to launch legal action after seeing others do the same as part of the #MeToo movement.

But sportswear giant Nike has expressed unease over its association with Ronaldo, which started in 2003.

The latest terms signed in 2016 are worth a reported $US1 billion ($A1.4 billion), and Ronaldo has suggested that it was a deal ‘‘for life’’.

But the company is troubled by details emerging from a lawsuit filed last week in a Nevada state court by the accuser. Police have also re-opened an investigation.

‘‘We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation,’’ Nike said in an email statement to Associated Press.

One of the wealthiest and most gifted soccer players of all time, Ronaldo wears Nike boots and appears in its advertising. The Portugal captain is also the face of the EA Sports FIFA video game franchise, appearing on the cover of the 2019 game that was released worldwide last week.

‘‘We have seen the concerning report that details allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo,’’ EA Sports told AP.

‘‘We are closely monitoring the situation, as we expect cover athletes and ambassadors to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with EA’s values.’’